Better Decision Making - Civil War
by Procrastinator123
Summary: Over the course of the Civil War film, the characters make better decisions. Sometimes, these decisions lead to better results and sometimes they don't. This fic is an attempt at being reasonably neutral in the face of all the one-sidedness in this fandom. Not all characters are tagged.
1. Civil War Debate

Better Decision Making – Accords Debate

 _A/N: I am adding Hawkeye into this scene, mostly because I needed more voices for the debate and felt that he'd be best candidate for what I wanted to do. My ideas of better debate come from the two part series on Youtube entitled 'Why the Sokovia Accords are a Great Idea' and 'Why the Sokovia Accords are a Terrible Idea' respectively by MCU exchange (well worth a watch, but make sure to watch both parts for a balanced view); reading the information on the Accords from the MCU Wikipedia page, the comics and general being in this fandom and reading the comment sections (not something I'd recommend unless you're as keen on debate as I am). I have by no means included every argument out there, but I do feel that most of the best points both for and against were completely missed in the film._

 _Further point…I am anti accords. I've tried my best to make this as balanced as I can, but I have a feeling that some of my prejudice shows. I feel the best argument in favour of the accords is the ramifications and oversight; the rest I feel are rather weak._

Whilst Steve tried to focus on reading the thick pile of paperwork that was the Sokovia Accords, the debate continued in the background. It was rather distracting.

"Secretary Ross has a congressional medal of honour," Rhodey was saying. "Which is one more than you have."

"Wait, isn't Ross the one behind that whole fiasco with the Hulk and Abomination?" Natasha asked. She was certain Bruce had mentioned something about being hunted down by Ross's team.

"Yeah he was…spent ages trying to kill Banner, then let him out of captivity to take down Abomination," Clint said, sitting up in his chair.

"That's beside the point," Rhodey said, waving a hand impatiently. "117 countries signed this…117 countries. Are you all really going to sweep that aside and say 'no that's cool, we got this?"

"What about the other 78 countries?" Steve asked, considering this. "If we sign this, that's 78 countries we can't help."

"Besides, this is the UN," Sam added, chipping in. "Their response time's measured in weeks, not hours. How many situations that we've saved would have ended in catastrophe if we'd had to wait around for permission?"

"Yeah, New York would be rubble for starters," Clint chipped in. "Or blown to hell…didn't the government try to nuke it?"

"In fairness, that was the World Security Council," Steve corrected, not looking up from his reading of the Accords.

"I have an equation," Vision interrupted.

"This'll clear everything up," Sam said sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"In the eight years since Mr Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And, during the same period, the number of potentially world ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve asked, glancing up from his reading of the accords again.

"I'm saying there may be a causality," Vision continued calmly. "Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict…breeds catastrophe."

"How would being sanctioned by the UN change that?" Sam asked, frowning at the AI.

"For starters, we'd be invited into conflicts," Rhodey argued, looking at the other man stubbornly. "There'd be sanctioned people in place to clean up our messes."

"Could create an arms race though," Clint murmured, looking concerned. "78 countries didn't sign…what's to stop them making their own avengers?"

"I do not like the idea of North Korea having their own elite team of avengers," Wanda put in.

"You're forgetting the potential we have to cause a war if we don't get UN approval," Rhodey stated. "We may be a private organisation, but the world sees us as American. You do realise that we could cause a war if things go south?"

"Tony," Natasha said, deciding that the debate wasn't go anywhere fast. "You're being non-characteristically non-hyperverbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind," Steve said, looking at his friend.

"Boy you know me so well," Tony said, getting up from his slouched position on the sofa to get himself a coffee, muttering as he did so about running a bed and breakfast for bikers, before setting his phone up to the image of Charles Spencer.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way," he said, pointing at the image projected by his Stark-phone. "He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA, had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where: Sokovia." The billionaire paused, guilt clear on his face. "He wanted to make a difference I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass.

"There's no decision-making process here," Tony continued, taking a long sip of coffee. "We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less we're no better than the bad guys."

"Tony, if someone dies on your watch, you don't give up," Steve said, trying to keep his tone gentle and understanding.

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony asked defensively.

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."

"Steve, that's dangerously arrogant," Rhodey said, shaking his head. "We can't just do what we like and not accept ramifications. Oversight is something that we must agree to. This is the United Nations…it's not the World Security Council. It's not SHIELD, it's not Hydra…"

"Are we sure it's not Hydra?" Sam asked, cutting in. "I mean, they infiltrated SHIELD, are we certain they didn't infiltrate the UN whilst they were at it?"

"Even if it's not been compromised, it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change," Steve said, putting the Accords document down.

"That's good!" Tony said firmly. "That's why I'm here. When I realised what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing."

"Tony, you chose to do that," Steve said quietly. "This takes away our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go. What if there's somewhere we think we need to go, and they don't let us?"

Sighing, Tony glanced at the accords.

"If we don't do this now, it will be done to us later," he said.

"All right," Sam said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Just answer me one question…who in this room would ignore a potentially world ending situation just because the UN says so?"

No one moved a muscle. Each and every person in the room, excluding Vision, had already acted against orders at one point or another because it was the right thing to do.

"Right, so if we sign that thing, we're lying through our teeth," Sam said, crossing his arms defiantly. "I ain't a liar Stark."

"Maybe Tony's right," Natasha said quietly. Tony turned to look at her, clearly very surprised. "If we keep one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off, we have no power to change the direction."

"Natasha, I disagree," Steve said. "If we sign this now, we lose all power to change it later. We should work to amend it before we sign."

"We have made some very public mistakes," Natasha said, looking Steve in the eye. "We need to win their trust back."

"Maybe, but signing this isn't the way forward," Steve said passionately. "Maybe we do need oversight, but not in this way."

Carefully, he flipped through the document to the most troubling page in the contract.

"All enhanced individuals with innate powers who agree to sign the Accords must wear tracking bracelets at all times," Steve read, voice clearly unhappy. "If an enhanced individual takes unauthorised action or obstructs the actions of those acting in accordance with the accords, they will be arrested. Enhanced individuals who break the law, violate the Accords or are otherwise deemed to be a threat to the general public may be detained indefinitely without trial."

He glanced around at the room, taking in their faces.

"Almost every one of us has admitted that they would act against the Accords if the situation called for it," Steve said. "This document isn't about facing the consequences, it's about control."

"How long until they'd LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam asked, looking distinctly unimpressed with the few lines Steve had read out.

"What's the alternative?" Tony asked. "If we don't sign this now, we will be forced to later. That won't be pretty."

"I'm not saying it's impossible," Steve said. "But there'd need to be safeguards…amendments."

"Serious amendments," Sam agreed. "Like keeping our basic human rights."

"Threat to the general public…" Wanda said quietly. There were several members of their team, both present and absent, that could be considered dangerous enough to warrant immediate incarceration. Herself, the Hulk…

"That means Bruce," Natasha murmured, reaching the same decision. Her mind was made up…there was no way she could sign away Banner's freedom in the hopes that they may be able to change it later.

"You're all missing an option," Clint chipped in, after being silent for a while. "We all retire, until such a time as these Accords are amended to mean oversight, not control. There may still be a middle ground."

"I can't be hearing this right," Rhodey said, shaking his head. "This is the UN, guys. It's so arrogant to believe that we can change their minds just be 'retiring.'"

"I'm not signing a document when I know I won't hold up my end of the bargain," Steve said firmly. "This way, we stand a chance of making this document something we can all sign happily, without breaking up the team."

Natasha, Sam, Wanda and Clint nodded along. Tony seemed a little uncertain, and Vision was unreadable. Only Rhodey seemed at all unhappy.

"Fine," Tony said, sighing. He could accept this middle ground if it meant he'd have everyone sign, rather than just less than half, as it was currently looking. "If we still gain oversight, I can live with it."

"So, we're all in agreement," Clint said, though not everyone was in happy agreement.

"Let's just hope some crisis doesn't turn up until all this is sorted," Sam muttered.

At that moment, Steve's phone buzzed with a single message.

 **She passed in her sleep**

"I've got to go," Steve said, standing and abruptly leaving the room.

 _A/N: so there we have it. Hopefully I've managed to balance both sides of the argument fairly well. Let me know if there are any arguments for either side I've missed, as I can be persuaded to rewrite and put them in if you argue it well enough_ _Also, I'm British…anyone happy to pick up on slang I use that isn't used in America would be hugely appreciated. (I tried my best, but am fairly certain there're probably bits that aren't quite right.)_

 _This fic will be part of a series titled 'Better Decision Making.' I already have a lengthy list I've gleaned from watching the film a fair few times (probably too many, but hey! It's likely my favourite.) The instalments will probably vary quite a lot in length, depending on how much I want to change. But anyway, if you have any ideas for things that any character and/or team could have done better, let me know…though, I am trying to avoid decisions that were only wrong with the benefit of hindsight. Try to keep the reasoning to things the characters would have known at the time_

 _Finally, the comment section. I believe that debate is healthy, but any name calling, swearing or abuse will not be tolerated, and I won't hesitate to delete comments or block you if you break this rule. Ye be warned_

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _some of this is a direct copy of lines in the movie. Steve's reading of the Accords document was taken off the MCU wiki page._


	2. Leipzig

Better Decision Making – Leipzig Airport

 _A/N: thanks so much to those who added this fic to their favourites or follows. It means so much to me. Special thanks to my wonderful reviewer Sethiel!  
This instalment is based entirely around the conversation before the battle at Leipzig airport began. I know in canon Steve did try and explain the situation, but in my fic, I'm going to have him try a little bit harder. More importantly, Team Iron Man is going to listen.  
Note: this series is a collection of one-shots. So, the premise of this fic assumes that the debate scene went as it did in canon. _

Steve ran towards the helicopter. He expected to be intercepted, so was alone. Conflict was something that he wanted to avoid if at all possible, and the chances of that drastically improved by entering the airport alone. The rest of the team were hidden and in position.

As the super soldier approached the helicopter, he saw one of Stark's rounds hit the metal casing. Sparks of electricity spread over the surface. Steve wasn't a technology expert, but he knew that the helicopter was now unusable. Glancing up, he spotted Iron Man and War Machine flying over. The pair landed between Steve and the now useless helicopter. It was hard to tell with their masks on, but Steve thought both looked grumpy.

"Wow, it's so weird how you run into people at the airport," Tony remarked, his helmet coming back to reveal his face. "Don't you think that's weird?" he asked Rhodey.

"Definitely weird," Rhodey replied drily.

"Hear me out Tony," Steve said calmly. If he could persuade his friend to listen, then perhaps they could make it out without starting a fight. "The doctor, the psychiatrist, he's behind all of this."

At that moment, Black Panther leapt into the area, closing off one of the possible escape routes Steve could have taken.

"Captain," he said in greeting, sounding distinctly unfriendly.

"Your highness," Steve returned politely, before turning his attention back to Tony. "The psychiatrist was an imposter," he continued. "He's headed for Siberia now. We need to stop him."

"Anyway," Tony said, ignoring Steve's words. "Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in. That was 24 hours ago. Can you help a brother out?"

"You're after the wrong guy," Steve said calmly, but his heart beat faster. This would have been much easier before the accords had taken affect.

"Your judgement in this is skewed," Tony said coldly. "Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday..."

"And there are five other super soldiers just like him," Steve returned impatiently. "I can't let the doctor find 'em first Tony, I can't."

"Steve," Natasha said quietly, appearing behind him. "You know what's about to happen. Do you really want to punch your way out of this one?"

"You know I don't," Steve replied, forcing himself to return to being calm. "But those five super soldiers could tear the government apart without ever breaking cover. We need to get to Siberia before they're set loose."

"All right," Tony said, raising his hands. "I've ran out of patience…Unde.."

"Wait Tony," Natasha interrupted, holding up a hand. "You're saying that there's a threat?" she asked Steve, looking concerned.

"Yes," Steve told her, feeling relieved that at least one person was listening. "The doctor told me he wants to see an empire fall."

T'Challa shifted uncomfortably. He didn't much like the sound of this, but wasn't certain he could trust the captain to be telling the truth.

"You sure your buddy's telling the truth?" Tony asked, still sceptical.

"Yes," Steve answered firmly.

Tony sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty, and there were sure to be consequences. However, the consequences couldn't be as catastrophic as letting those super soldiers loose.

"Five super soldiers, you said?" he asked, looking resigned.

"Yes," Steve answered, looking relieved that he was being listened to. "They've got the skills and languages to take down a country in one night. We'd never see them coming."

Natasha frowned, looking unhappy. This didn't sound good in the slightest.

"Man, we could get in a lot of trouble for this," Rhodey advised Tony quietly.

"I know," Tony responded. "But this is the right thing to do. What's the plan cap?"

"We need to get to the base before the doctor can wake them up," Steve answered. "We've not got much time. He's got quite a head start on us."

"Right, gather your team. We'll take the quinjet," Tony said. "Any arguments?" Everyone remained silent. "Good."

Within half an hour, both teams were crammed into the Quinjet, on their way to Siberia. It was a tense ride, but all involved were willing to cope with the knowledge that their mission could save the world.

 _A/N so there we have the second part. I think this would change the end fight, because the others also would be unlikely to let Tony just kill a man in cold blood._

 _Also, anyone who can pick this apart for any British slang that probably shouldn't be there, you're very welcome. I tried my best, but there may well be things I've missed._


	3. Surrender

_A/N: This turned into a monster length one-shot, because I wanted to explore what would change because of Bucky going quietly. Basically, I thought that Steve would have more time to think things through, and therefore came to the conclusions he did in the film quicker than in canon. However, a lot of the changes are quite subtle, so bear with me_ _. Any dialogue you recognise was paraphrased directly from the film._

Steve looked around Bucky's apartment with mixed emotions. He'd been trying to find his old friend for the better part of two years, and now he was here. It looked like the place had been used as a hideout for a while. There was food in the cupboards, and the bed had been slept in. Even so, there were very few personal items around. It didn't escape Steve's notice that instead of sheets, the bed was made up with a sleeping bag.

Glancing at the fridge again, Steve spotted a slim notebook beneath two wrapped food bars. Carefully, he took it out, opening it to a random page. Shocked, he looked down at an image of himself. It was a leaflet from the Smithsonian exhibit…so Buck had gone. Surely that meant that he had the proof, that he was Bucky Barnes. Steve would have read more, but was interrupted by Sam's voice on the coms.

"Heads up Cap," he said calmly. "German special sources approaching from the South."

"Understood," Steve replied.

Instinct made the supersoldier glance behind him. Bucky was there…he'd made no noise entering the apartment, and stood staring. Steve looked over his old friend. He was wearing a baseball cap low over his eyes, and had a few days scruff over his face and neck. Civilian clothes…the metal arm hidden with long sleeves and gloves.

"You know me?" Steve asked, trying to assess whether this was a Hydra assassin, or his old friend. Would he know the difference?

"You're Steve," Bucky replied, after a long moment of silence. He seemed nervous. "I read about you in a museum."

For Steve, that was good enough. This was Bucky, not Hydra's weapon. Looking in the museum showed independent thinking. Had he even been in Vienna? It didn't make sense.

"They've set the perimeter," Sam said over the coms. Steve made no visible response, but his brain was working. He'd like to get out of the situation without a fight, but remembered Sharon's warning. The squad had been told to shoot to kill. Their best hope was to prevent the shooting from starting.

"I know you're nervous," Steve said, putting the journal down. "And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying."

"I wasn't in Vienna," Bucky said quietly, watching Steve's every move. "I don't do that anymore."

"They're entering the building," Sam informed them, sounding stressed over the com.

"Well the people who think you did are coming here now," Steve warned, though from the look on Bucky's face, he already knew that. On the spot, Steve decided not to share his knowledge about the shoot to kill order. He didn't know Bucky anymore, but figured that his training would make him lash out if he felt threatened. Steve wanted to calm the situation down, and prevent a fight. Hopefully the squad would let him.

"They're on the roof," Sam informed them. "I'm compromised."

Slowly, Bucky took the glove off his left hand, revealing the gleam of silver metal.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight Buck," Steve said quickly, watching the preparation.

"It always ends in a fight," Bucky replied.

"Five seconds," Sam warned.

"Not this time," Steve said, speaking quickly. "Tell them you surrender…we can work all this out."

Bucky stared at him, not comprehending the idea.

"Three seconds," Sam continued his countdown.

"Wait!" Steve shouted. "We surrender."

There was a pause, as all the men involved held their breaths for the response of the German squad.

"Geh runter! Hände auf den Kopf!" _Get down, hands on your heads._

Steve obeyed, putting the shield down next to him. Hesitantly, Bucky followed his lead. Steve could tell by the tense set of his shoulders that the position wouldn't impede the other super soldier if a fight broke out. Regardless, it was better than nothing.

What followed was long and tense, as the squad broke into the small apartment. The two were surrounded, with guns pointing in their direction from all sides. The squad cuffed the men's hands behind their backs, not being especially gentle. Bucky looked ready to fight, but stayed calm. His eyes remained on Steve's face, trusting his friend not to lead him astray.

The two men were led outside, before they were separated. Bucky was led to an armoured truck, guns still pointed in his direction. In contrast, Steve was taken to a simple police car, his hands released from their cuffs. He dearly hoped he'd done the right thing, persuading Bucky to surrender. There was no sign of Sam. Steve hoped his friend had gotten himself out of the area. There was no reason for him to get dragged into the same mess.

* * *

On the long, solitary ride, the cogs in Steve's brain kept turning. Bucky said that he wasn't behind the Vienna attack, and Steve believed him. It made no sense. If Bucky was still an assassin, there was no way he'd have been able to lay low that long. The apartment had made it clear in Steve's mind that Hydra were no longer in control.

So, why would someone go to that much effort to frame Bucky? It was a good way to flush a guy out of hiding, Steve would give them that. The attack had put the entire world on red alert, hunting for the Winter Soldier. Of course, that was no guarantee whoever framed Bucky would get him…it guaranteed that the government would.

When the entourage finally arrived at the base, which just so happened to be in Berlin, Steve got out, feeling tense. He barely caught a glance of Bucky, who was kept in a glass box, restrained into his chair. The ex-Hydra assassin was avoiding people's eyes, looking slightly sad. Steve hoped they'd get to the bottom of this fast.

Looking around, Steve quickly spotted Sharon, standing next to an older man in a suit. This was probably the man in charge. There were two armed guards behind them.

"What's going to happen to him?" Steve asked, approaching the group.

"Same thing that ought to happen to you," the older man stated. "Psychological evaluation, followed by extradition."

"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander," Sharon introduced.

"What about a lawyer?" Steve asked, voice hard. He had an instinctual dislike for this man already.

"Lawyer, that's funny," Ross responded, smirking.

"Bucky Barnes came quietly," Steve said, his voice firm. "He says that he wasn't in Vienna. That's worth considering."

"See that his weapon is placed in a lock up," Ross addressed one of the guards, ignoring Steve's words. "We'll write you a receipt," he assured Steve, sounding a little patronising.

Steve was led to an office. He was informed that he was lucky that it wasn't a cell, and was requested to stay there. Natasha fell into step beside him.

"I know," he told her, guessing what his friend was thinking. "I made it worse."

Natasha shrugged.

"You talked the situation down," she said. "It could have been worse…but this is still going to cause a PR nightmare."

Steve nodded. He'd known that before he'd left.

"At least he's alive," he said simply. That was worth it to him.

"You really think he wasn't behind Vienna?" she asked, interested in the response.

"It doesn't make sense. Sam and I searched for two years, and found nothing," Steve shared. "I think someone framed him, so that he'd be brought here."

"I'll watch people going in and out," Natasha promised, disappearing from his side and heading deeper into the compound.

* * *

"Well," Tony said, entering the office Steve was staying in. "That could have gone better."

"It could have gone worse," Steve countered, a wry smile on his lips.

"True," Tony allowed. "Your involvement wasn't caught on camera, but you still crossed an international boundary without the approval of the UN."

Steve sighed. He'd never have gotten the UN's approval in time. Things could have gone to hell very quickly if he hadn't been there.

"So, I'm bringing, what do you call it? An olive branch." Tony put a small case, containing two fancy looking pens. "FDR signed the landlease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the allies when they needed it most."

"Some say it brought our country closer to war," Steve said, guessing where Tony was going with this.

"See, if not for these you wouldn't be here," Tony replied, not bothering to hide his irritation. "So far, nothing's been done that can't be undone. You somehow managed not to further aggravate our public relations by persuading Barnes to come quietly, but you still crossed international borders uninvited. If you sign, we can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psyche centre rather than Wakandan prison."

"You sure about that?" Steve asked, giving his friend a look. "I mentioned a lawyer to Everett Ross, and he laughed in my face. I'm fairly certain he wasn't in Vienna."

"Your buddy tell you that?" Tony asked, finding that difficult to believe.

"Look Tony, this doesn't make any sense," Steve said. "Why come out of hiding now? He's been hiding for years, leaving no trace. You think he'd find a better hiding place after trying to blow up the UN."

Tony sighed, shaking his head.

"Your judgement is skewed," he said, sighing. "But, if you sign, we might be able to get Barnes a fair trial. If you're right, there should be a way to prove it."

Steve picked up one of the pens, turning it over in his hands.

"I'm not saying it's impossible," he said slowly. "There'd have to be safeguards."

"Sure," Tony replied quickly, feeling hope that the conversation was going in the right direction. "We just need to put out the PR fire from Lagos, then those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to get you and Wanda reinstated…"

"Wanda? What about Wanda?" Steve interrupted, concerned.

"She's fine," Tony said quickly. "She's confined to the compound, currently. Vision's keeping her company."

"Oh God Tony!" Steve sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Every time, every time I think you see things the right way…"

"It's a hundred acres with a lap pool," Tony spoke over him impatiently. "It's got a screening room. There are worse ways to protect people."

"Protection?" Steve asked, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. "Is that how you see this? It's internment Tony."

"She's not a US citizen and they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction!" Tony replied, impatient. He was doing what was necessary to keep the team together.

"Oh come on Tony," Steve interrupted. "She's a kid."

"She's an adult," Tony argued.

"That's beside the point!" Steve said loudly. "How long before they start locking up any enhanced individual they think is a threat? How long before they set up camps, like we had for the Japanese? How long?"

"Give me a break!" Tony shouted, raising his hands. He could see what Steve was saying, but there was no alternate solution. "I'm doing what has to be done, to stave off something worse."

"You keep telling yourself that," Steve said, looking resigned. All the fight had drained out of him. "Might want to have another read of what you signed."

He put the pen back on the table, turning to leave the room.  
"Hate to break up the set," he said, his tone making it clear that he didn't regret the decision at all.

* * *

After Tony left, Steve was greeted by Sam. He'd managed to avoid getting put under guard, and was there as a friend. Sharon was with him. The group watched the footage of Bucky, now joined by a psychologist asking questions.

"Has Natasha found anything suspicious?" Steve asked, eyes never straying from the screen. It smelt fishy, and that put him on edge.

"Not yet," Sharon replied. "We're monitoring closely." She sighed. "The new Wakandan king arrived. He's working hard to get Barnes transferred into his custody."

Steve sighed, but wasn't surprised. He hoped that Tony would still work on getting Bucky a fair trial, despite his own refusal to sign the Accords.

The group watched the feed, all tense. Bucky didn't seem hostile to the psychiatrist.

"Hand on a second…," Sharon murmured, watching the feed. She appeared to have had an epiphany "If Barnes was framed, the person who did it must know that we'd call in…"

"A psychiatrist," Steve finished, turning towards the door. There was no way he'd stay in the office with that information.

"Sub level five, east wing," Sharon called, telling Steve where to head to.

The small group of three barely made it to the lift before the power went out. Steve headed for the stairs, Sam close on his tail. No one tried to stop them in the chaos of the power outage. Sharon had peeled off, heading towards where Tony and Natasha were supposed to be.

Finally arriving at the right place, Steve took in scene. The glass cage where Bucky had been sat had been smashed, and now stood empty. Bucky stood, his face a mask, opposite the psychiatrist. The doctor turned to face the newcomers.

"Captain Rogers," he greeted. "I did not expect you to arrive so quickly."

Sam looked at the guy, and subtly pressed a button on his phone. Whatever he was about to tell them could be valuable information that needed sharing.

"Were you the one behind the attack in Vienna?" Steve asked, voice hard.

"Very astute," the doctor responded. "I have underestimated your intelligence."

"What do you want?" Steve pressed, keeping his distance. The doctor was close to Bucky, and Steve didn't know what was keeping the super soldier from crushing the guy.

"To see an empire fall," the doctor said simply. "Soldat, keep them busy," he ordered, stepping out the way.

Steve frowned, confused for a millisecond, before the situation dawned on him. Bucky attacked, launching himself at the Captain with a ferocious yell. Taken by surprise, Steve fell headlong into Sam, and the pair landed in an ungainly heap on the floor.

Whilst Sam stayed down, winded from the impact, Steve regained his footing quickly. He'd landed on top of his friend, cushioning his fall. However, the captain had barely stood up before Bucky was on him, landing fierce blows with his metal arm. Steve stepped back, barely blocking, until his back hit the lift. Bucky shoved him through, leaving Steve to land hard on the ground, several feet below. Bucky stalked away.

* * *

After pulling Bucky out of the river, Steve had met Sam at their rendezvous point. The pair had somehow managed to smuggle the Winter Soldier to an abandoned warehouse, where they waited for him to wake up. Steve remembered that Natasha had snapped Clint out of Loki's control with a hit to the head, and Bucky had hit his own head pretty hard. Hopefully that would negate whatever the psychiatrist had done to gain control.

"Steve," Sam called. "He's waking up."

Hurrying to the area they'd left the unconscious soldier, Steve looked at the groaning man.

"Steve," he groaned, looking pained. The metal arm had been left crunched under a heavy bit of metal. Steve knew that it wouldn't slow him down much if he was still under the psychiatrist's control, but it would give them some warning.

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked, voice hard. He couldn't afford to take risks.

Bucky looked up at him through his fringe, seeming vulnerable.

"Your mom's name was Sarah," he said quietly. "You used to wear newspapers in your shoes."

Steve breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Can't read that in a museum," he said, smiling slightly.

Sam looked up him, not sharing the sense of relief.

"What, just like that we're supposed to be cool?" he asked sarcastically.

"What did I do?" Bucky asked, glancing at Sam. He must have done something, but the memory was fuzzy.

"Enough," Steve answered.

"Oh God I knew this would happen," Bucky said, looking down and shaking his head. It was why he'd hidden, rather than seeking out his old friend. "Everything Hydra put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the Goddamn words," the man added bitterly.

"Who was he?" Steve asked, hoping that Bucky had more information than he did.

"I don't know," Bucky said, meeting Steve's eyes.

"People are dead," Steve told him. "The bombing, the setup…The doctor did all that just to get 10 minutes with you. I need you to do better than 'I don't know."

Bucky frowned, trying to remember through the fog. The doctor had asked for a mission report…and had mentioned his home, Siberia. Which mission report had he wanted?

"He wanted to know about Siberia," he told Steve. "Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where."

"Why would he need to know that?" Steve asked, worried.

"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier," Bucky answered.

* * *

"This would have been a lot easier a week ago," Sam said, after they'd finished listening to Bucky's worrying tale.

"If we call Tony…" Steve said, hoping that his teammate would help.

"He might believe us," Sam said. "I recorded what the psychiatrist said with my phone…we could send that…"

"Even if he does believe us…" Steve started to say.

"Who knows if the Accords would let him help," Sam finished.

"We give him the information," Steve decided. "And hope for the best. For now, we're on our own."

"Maybe not," Sam countered, smiling slightly as an idea came to him. "I know a guy."

 _A/N: So, there we have it. From there, I think the movie would have played out pretty close to it did in canon. The UN would have sent Tony's team in to apprehend Steve's, regardless of the additional info from Sam. Tony would go on thinking that Steve's judgement was skewed until the further proof Zemo provided later on._

 _As usual, any Americans happy to pick out any British slang I use would be much appreciated, and usual rules to the comments section apply. Be polite and respectful, no insults or language cap wouldn't approve of, and we're all good_

 _Thanks for reading everyone, all comments are appreciated!_


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